|
.
>>
|  | Ensuring Efficient Small Business Support in Donetsk Region, 2009
This project initiated by the Donetsk Oblast Council and supported by GTZ proposes to facilitate development of private sector in rural areas and mining locations of Donetsk Oblast by studying existing small business support infrastructure and facilitating establishment of cooperation between key SME support players.
The project will conduct a series of Round tables in rural areas and mining locations involving key regional SME support players aimed to discuss opportunities for coordination of efforts in developing small business.
In addition the project will collect a database of organizations and institutions providing various support to small businesses (informational, advisory, financial, educational etc.). This information will be systematized in the form of a small business support services providers catalogue. An electronic version of the catalogue will be also provided to key stakeholders with the aim to place it if possible on their web-sites.
In conclusion, an Oblast Round Table “Prospects for the Development of Small Business: New Approach to Old Problem” will discuss coordination of joint efforts of entrepreneurs’ support structures in protecting and lobbying interests of small business.
Innovative Employment and Self-Employment Generation Technologies for Donetsk Region, 2009
The present project was initiated by the Donetsk Oblast Employment Centre and funded by GTZ. The project is aimed to improve institutional capacity of the Regional Employment Service to address flexibly challenges of the current economic crisis through training in modern European employment generation models, improvement of awareness and involvement into open transparent discussion of the problems relating to self-employment and small business as well as of the public-private partnership development.
The project envisages delivery of two training seminars for specialists of Employment Centres from Donetsk Oblast, local authorities, civil society organisations in innovative models of small business support and employment generation: “Mentorship as an efficient tool to support start-up entrepreneurs and control use of allocated funds” and “Innovative forms of enterprises oriented to meet needs in services of specific communities/territories”.
At the completion of the project there will be conducted a final Round Table “Open Discussion of problems related to self-employment and small business development”. The Round Table will unite key representatives of government-business-civil society triangle to discuss openly challenges and solutions of self-employment and small business development as well as public-private partnership development.
Development of entrepreneurship among young women living in rural areas, 2009-2010
The present project supported by the Finnish Embassy in Ukraine will try to change the status of a rural woman and show that a woman may be a successful private entrepreneur making its input into economic development of her community. The project will be implemented on a pilot base in two agricultural regions, namely Telmanovskiy district of Donetsk region and Kremenskoy district of Luhansk Oblast. Young women from pilot areas will be trained in entrepreneurship and will be able to obtain beneficial loans to start up own business. The project will also conduct a business plan competition among young women. Winners of this competition will receive non-returnable financial aid and required advisory support to implement their business ideas.
Youth Business Ukraine (YBU)
Youth Business Ukraine Programme is a national partner of the worldwide network of Youth Business International (YBI) programmes helping disadvantaged young people to become entrepreneurs by providing business mentoring and start-up capital.
YBU was launched in 2006 in four pilot areas of Luhansk region: town of Krasnodon, town of Severodonetsk, Perevalskiy and Kremenskoy raions.
Since July 2007 YBU has been working in three more pilot areas of Donetsk region town of Torez, Telmanovskiy and Dobropolskiy raions.
YBU plans to open 40 more offices in different regions of Ukraine till 2012 and provide assistance to 2000 young entrepreneurs, and since 2012 onwards to provide assistance to 4000 young Ukrainians in starting own businesses.
Integrated Development of Local Self-Government of Novoazovskiy Raion, 2008-2009
SESP, as a member of the Alliance of Regional Strategies, has been implementing a pilot project on the integrated development of local self-government in Novoazovskiy raion of Donetsk region. The project’s goal is to improve the system of local self-government in the region and to build civil society. The present project was approved and financed by Donetsk Oblast Council.
SESP has developed and has been implementing two components of the project: grant scheme and creation of social enterprise as innovative models for community development.
The main goal of the Grant Scheme is to disseminate up-to-date effective technologies of social partnership between the government, community and business. The component envisages four rounds of small projects competition. Donetsk Oblast Council has provided UAH 100,000.00 to provide grants for the implementation of small projects in local communities of Novoazovskiy raion.
The main goal of the social enterprise component is to extend a range of social services and to approach them to customers. The component consists of two stages:
- competition of business ideas aimed to select the most interesting business ideas
- competition of business projects proposed by winners of the first stage.
The finalist of the competition will be provided with a grant in the amount of UAH 150,000.00 to create a social enterprise.
Strategic Tuberculosis Planning in Pilot Areas of Donetsk Region, 2008
SESP has won a competition announced by Rinat Akhmetov’s Foundation for Development of Ukraine to conduct strategic tuberculosis planning in pilot areas of Donetsk region under the regional program "Fighting TB Epidemic in Donetsk Region in 2007 - 2011". Within the framework of this Programme SESP has been organising and delivering training in strategic planning in the sphere of fight against tuberculosis in pilot areas of Donetsk region: city of Donetsk, city of Mariupol, city of Gorlovka followed by the development of strategic plans and their legitimisation at the local level.
In order to achieve the objectives of the competition, SESP has proposed to use a European methodology tested and adapted to local conditions.
Organisation of a Survey Related to the Corporate Social Responsibility of Enterprises of Fuel and Energy Complex of Ukraine, 2008
Within the framework of this project SESP provided assistance to Donetsk Fuel and Energy Company in developing a stakeholders map and organised interaction with them. A number of meetings with non-governmental sector was conducted wih the aim to compare vision of corporate social responsibility by non-governmental sector and the company. Possible directions for the development of social investments and charitable activities of the company in the city of Donetsk and further steps of interaction with NGOs were defined as a result of the meetings.
Small Grant Scheme Administration, 2005-2007
In 2005 SESP won a tender for grants administration announced by Socio-Economic Regeneration of Donbass Project.
The project aimed to support local communities, business and local authorities to implement their local strategies (community development strategies and socio-economic strategies) and to create favourable environment for the development of business.
In order to ensure successful implementation of the Grant Scheme as well as openness of the grantees selection and projects evaluation, Expert Commissions were created in pilot areas composed of representatives of the local authorities, business and communities. Local administrators worked at the local level. SESP members together with local administrators provided a complex of services in the field including conduction of training on project writing, filling-in of the application forms, project management, project monitoring; consultations on project management; monitoring and evaluation of projects; informing the Socio-Economic Regeneration of Donbass Project and communities about Grant Scheme progress.
An important result of this Scheme was creation of a strong viable Partnership enabling effective interaction of NGOs with governmental bodies, creation of a system for attraction of funds for the development of communities and creation of conditions for the introduction of innovative models of self-organisation of the population.
Social Responsibility of Business in Donbass, 2005 -2006
The main goal of this project was to mobilise the business communities to take an active and voluntary part in the social development of their areas and to help building up a real and sustainable “enabling environment” for businesses to adopt new mentalities and behaviours towards philanthropy. The project developed a Social Responsibility Strategy based on EU standards and practice.
Supporting Design and Implementation of Socio-Economic Strategies in Lugansk Region, 2003-2005
Within the framework of this project SESP provided methodological and organisational support to local authorities, business and communities in four areas of Luhansk region in developing effective Socio-Economic Strategies and Community Development Strategies. These strategies were based on complex analysis of socio-economic conditions and were developed by working groups comprising key stakeholders including local government, business and community, united together for the first time. After completion of the project all pilot areas continue developing and implementing own strategies.
Targeted Social Assistance in Donetsk Oblast, 2003-2005
The main goal of this project was to improve the targeting of social protection and social assistance funds and services to members of the society who really need them. Specific Objectives included development of the unified targeted approach to provision of social and informational services to the most vulnerable categories of the population. The project developed and introduced a regional Social Protection Strategy, set up mobile offices for providing outreach social services to population in remote settlements, set up Social Services Information Centre for Population.
Development of Credit Unions, 2002-2004
SESP assisted in creating 18 credit unions (12 in Donetsk region and 6 in Luhansk region).
At present credit unions of Donetsk region unite 3700 members and have assets amounting to about 3.5 million hryvnias including more than 800,000.00 hryvnias of own capital. The credit unions created 37 jobs with salary fund amounting to 35,000.00 hryvnias.
All credit unions had been working in close cooperation and regularly coordinated their actions, exchanged information and experience. Such cooperation was institutionalised by creating Donetsk Regional Association of Credit Unions (DRACU).
DRACU founding conference was conducted in November 2004. Now the DRACU unites 23 credit unions, which is approximately 40% of all credit unions registered in the oblast. DRACU has been providing regular training to member credit unions, organises improvement of skills and certification of credit unions management, monitors operation and analyses reports of credit unions with the aim to avoid violations of the legislation and regulatory acts; maintains efficient financial structure; traces changes in the legislation; coordinates work aimed to maintain liquidity and financial sustainability of credit unions.
A Joint Credit Union Spilni Finansy was established by the DRACU with the aim to regulate immediate exchange of financial resourced between credit unions located in different areas and neutralise local fluctuations of funds demand and supply.
|